Interaction of small molecules on the ZnO surface

Title

Interaction of small molecules on the ZnO surface

Speaker

Prof. Xiang Shao (University of Science and Technology of China)

Host

Prof. Kai Huang (GTIIT, Chemistry)

Time and Location

Aug. 05 2022, Friday, 11:00am-12:00pm(China Time), E211 (Education Building, 2nd floor)

Language

Chinese

Zoom

https://gtiit.zoom.us/j/94609938903

Abstract

Being a star material, ZnO has been widely used in various fields. In particular, it is used as gas sensors, and also as catalysts in the industrial production of methanol. In both cases, the interactions of small gaseous molecules with the ZnO surface play decisive roles in determining the performance or the activities. Molecular understanding of how these molecules bind to and further organize into ordered phases on the ZnO surface should certainly benefit our design and utilization of the ZnO-based materials in the corresponding fields. Inspired by this idea, the speaker has performed a series of experimental studies of various molecules on the ZnO(10-10) surface with a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, covering both the inorganic and organic small molecules which are involved in the most important energy transformation reactions. In this talk, high-resolution atomic details of some typical molecules on the ZnO surface will be presented. Their mutual interactions as well as the influences on the electronic property of ZnO will be discussed. These results may not be directly reveal the mechanisms of the surface processes under practical conditions, yet should provide a solid ground for understanding the crucial elemental steps of these complicated processes.

Biography

Xiang Shao was born in 1979, Anhui province. He got the bachelor in 2000 from Hunan University and the Ph.D. in 2006 from Peking University, respectively. Then, he did his first Postdoc with Prof. Yasuhiro Iwasawa in Tokyo University until 2009. After that, he moved to Fritz-haber institute for a second Postdoc and worked with Prof. Hajo Freund. In 2012, Dr. Shao moved back to China and joined the University of Science and Technology of China. He got the professorship in physical chemistry since then.